2021 Grand Marshals - Bob & Ada Eckles

from American Fork Steel Days 2021 Magazine

Message from the Co-Chairs

BOB & ADA ECKLES

Bob and Ada Eckles will be honored as the Grand Marshals of the 2021 Steel Days Grand Parade on Saturday, July 10, 2021. The parade will begin at 9:30 a.m.

Bob Eckles was born and raised in American Fork. He went to Harrington Elementary, American Fork Junior High (on the hill, where the American Fork Fitness Center currently sits), and graduated from American Fork High School in 1966. While in high school, he played football, basketball, baseball, and tennis, winning state championships in both baseball and tennis. Bob received a scholarship to Snow College for basketball and tennis and graduated in 1968. He then attended Utah State University on scholarship and played tennis there until graduating in 1970.

After college, Bob started teaching at American Fork High School. He taught Human Physiology, Medical Terminology, and Drivers Education. During his 50 year teaching career, he was also an assistant basketball coach, baseball coach, and football coach as well as head basketball coach, tennis coach, and HOSA advisor. He retired from teaching and coaching in 2020.

Ada Peterson Eckles moved to American Fork when she was a high school freshman and attended American Fork High School where she was a cheerleader. She graduated in 1967, and Bob and Ada were married that same year. They bought their “starter” home in American Fork, where they still reside.

Ada worked at a well-known yogurt parlor on Main Street where she cooked their soups and meat pies for 20 years. She was also a special needs aide at American Fork High School, where her students loved her. She was the Employee of the Year for the Alpine School District in 2017.

Bob and Ada had eight children. Seven of their children graduated from AFHS, the only exception being their daughter, Bobbie Jo. In 1990, they discovered that four-year-old Bobbie Jo had a brain tumor, which was later determined to be cancerous.

When some of the other coaches around the state discovered Bobbie Jo would not survive her battle with cancer, they organized fundraisers to help with medical expenses. The town

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of American Fork showed their love for the Eckles family by recarpeting their home and filling it with new furniture. They were amazed and touched by the outpouring of kindness and compassion. Bobbie Jo died two years later, and once again the community rallied around the Eckles family.

“That’s when I decided there wasn’t anywhere I would rather be,” said Bob. “There isn’t anyone who has had the neat things happen like what’s happened to me and my family here.”

Bob and Ada are featured on the American Fork High School Wall of Fame. They both bleed red and have been, and will be, Cavemen forever. Bob was inducted into the High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 2020, and he is also on the Utah State Wall of Fame.

The Eckles have many fond memories of attending the Steel Days Parade as a family. “We are very humbled and grateful to be chosen as this year’s Grand Marshals,” said Ada. “We feel inadequate but are very excited to be part of Steel Days.”

Bob and Ada say that their greatest accomplishments have been to watch their students grow and succeed in life. They love this community, and it is their permanent home. They’ve seen it grow from a small town into a bustling city with citizens whom they love. All of Bob’s athletic teams wore “AFPT” on their uniforms, reminding them that they represent American Fork Past Traditions.

Bob says part of what makes American Fork such a wonderful city to live in is the great leadership. He has personally known almost every mayor and city council member, and believes that the people who take the time to run for office and put in so many hours truly care about the city.

When asked what they love most about American Fork, both Bob and Ada answered, “The people.” Bob added, “The high school.”

Bob and Ada have eight children: Larry Eckles and his wife, Joy, and their seven children; Staci (Eckles) Whitney and her husband, Kirk, and their three children; Robert Eckles and his wife, Liz, and their six children; B.J. Eckles and his wife, Jamie, and their two children; David Eckles and his wife, Crissy, and their four children; Lindsee (Eckles) Shipp and her husband, Kevin, and their three children, Gary Eckles and his wife, Jana, and their two children; and their little girl, Bobbie Jo.